In its 2001 seminal report “Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21rst Century”, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) described the current state of health care delivery. The report described a health care system that was fragmented, poorly designed and most importantly...
We are currently challenged by a healthcare system problem. Too often patients only communicate with their provider to receive episodic care; we need to emphasize the importance of the provider-patient relationship in preventative care. The election of President Obama in November 2008 marked the beginning of...
Where does the healthcare continuum really begin? With prevention? In the home? With the Primary Care Provider? In the Emergency Department? Although an argument can certainly be made for any of the four choices above, I’d like to challenge your opinion and perspective with a different answer…the continuum for many...
I always inform new patients about the personal philosophy that guides my practice as a family nurse practitioner in primary care and determines how I approach patients, families, and health. Revealing this early helps patients decide whether I might be the right health professional to...
The promise of telemedicine has been around for years, with robotic surgeries, remote monitoring of patients and big city doctors able to care for rural patients over computer networks. But not until Apple IOS devices like iPhone and iPad as well as Android OS smartphones...
We can all agree that we have reached a point where the status quo in prevention is not enough. Obesity continues to negatively impact adults’ lives and the lives of future generations. Heart disease continues to affect thousands of Americans and is the...
As health care evolves, so has the nursing profession. Advanced Practice Registered Nursing (APRN), an umbrella term to include the 4 roles of advanced practice nurses, have been expanding at a rapid rate. There are over 250,500 APRNs in the country, according to the recently...
A prohibition was lifted on human dissection in 3rd century Greece, under one condition, that the anatomists not involve themselves with the corpse’s soul. Body and soul at the time were considered separate entities, thus, the medical model was born. The focus on the symptom...
Check out the debate over clinical exam vs technology and our comments on Kevin MD! How important is a doctor’s skill in the physical exam of a patient? by John Mandrola, MD http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/02/important-doctors-skill-physical-exam-patient.html...
Recently, two of our key advisors have been featured in the media due to their success in providing direct health care services using both innovative and underutilized methods. A recent New Yorker article by Atul Gawande highlights one of our advisors and panelists for the primary...